1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hygienic devices and in particular to bidets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bidets have been found to be superior to the use of toilet paper for cleansing the anal-genital area of the human body. They have also provided relief for sufferers with hemorrhoids, fissures, and similar ailments. The conventional bidet is a free standing fixture with attached plumbing that provides water and drainage. A user sits on the porcelain rim of the bidet and adjusts the flow is and temperature of water with a control knob. Body position is then readjusted to accommodate the flow of water from fixed jets within the bowl. The reason that more people do not enjoy the benefits of a bidet is largely due to the extra space and expense a free standing bidet requires. Many owners of bidets find it inconvenient to move to a unit separate from the toilet. Yet shorter hospital stays, elderly home care and the AIDS crisis have created a greater need for this kind of cleansing. A wide variety of disposable douches, enemas, and wet wipes on the market have tried to meet this need. The problem is that the manufacture and disposal of these products use up valuable resources and despoil the environment. Thus a number of bidet devices and seats have been proposed for use with an ordinary flush toilet.
A primary object of a bidet device is to apply warm water to the anal-genital area of the user of a toilet. A number of such devices are electrically heated. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,704 to Chung (1986), a lower reservoir is adapted to receive and electrically heat cold water from a refillable upper reservoir. The heated water is then transferred through a flexible hose to a handheld nozzle with a manual or electrical pump. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,190 to Huang (1983), an electric control system heats water inside a jacketed toilet seat, connected to the toilet water supply source. The system comprises a power source connector, a circuit breaker, a transformer for reducing input voltage, a heating coil and a thermostat, connected by a sensor inserted in the water of the jacket. The malfunction of any of these mechanisms in a moist environment, particularly if extension cords are used, may cause temperature and electrical shock for the user. Thus number of devices, using both the hot and cold water supply, have been proposed.
Some of these devices include a hand-held nozzle with a volume control that is attached to a sink faucet with a flexible hose. Here, the volume and temperature controls are often not accessible to the toilet. Pressure build-up or disconnection from the faucet could cause leakage, and water temperature cannot be changed. Thus some devices provide their own mixing valve, connected directly to the hot and cold water supply stops. Most of these devices, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,553 to Sussman (1977), U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,311 to Ingels (1989), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,121 to Barker (1991), provide external handles for adjusting the position of nozzles inside the bowl area. Their elaborate configurations restrict directional movement and are difficult to keep clean. U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,510 to Basile (1991), stores a hand-held nozzle with a flexible conduit within a compartment of the toilet or seat. While protected from elimination materials, the nozzle head is subject to mildew and mold which readily grow in the moist environment. Self-contained hand-held bidets, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,340 to Lovitt (1990), are stored in a dry sanitary place but do not provide the continuous flow of water of the seat and bidet attachments.
Another object of the bidet device is to dispense a medicine or cleanser in series with the flow of water for internal and external body treatments. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,704 to Chung (1986) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,540 to Lovitt (1992), a liquid soap is somehow added to an internal chamber of a discharge handle and dispensed with the flow of water. A pump is used to dispense the liquid while the solution is being directed to the desired body area. This process may prove to be difficult for certain users. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,118 to McLaughlin (1978), a discharge apparatus holds a cartridge, containing solid salts, that is dissolved with the flow of warm water. These cartridges are more expensive and limited than the over-the-counter liquids used in many applications. Also, the increased weight and size of all these handles can make them awkward to maneuver. The limited volume of their reservoirs prevents multiple or extended treatments. These reservoirs must first be emptied before new liquids are added to apply different solutions.
A further object of the bidet device is to provide a safe and sanitary nozzle for applying both internal and external body treatments. The discharge nozzles of the prior art are elongated in shape and have attached disposable tips for applying internal body treatments such as douches and enemas. The insertion of these nozzle tips may irritate the sensitive lining of a body cavity especially for those suffering from hemorrhoids or, recovering from surgery. In addition, these tips can be expensive to purchase and present a disposal waste problem. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,997 to Anderson (1988), external heat therapy is administered with a sitz bathe adapted for such a nozzle. The integral molded channel of the sitz bathe restricts the free range of movement of the bidet. There is also the danger of contaminants being inadvertently introduced by the user during the soaking phase. Thus, independent self administration of these body treatments is often difficult.
Another object of the bidet device is to provide greater accessibility to the general population. Bidet devices thus far have been marketed to persons with special needs and tend to be automated to increase convenience. These mechanisms have complicated and expensive control and heating mechanisms that require electricity to operate. Often these functions are performed more efficiently by less complex and commercially made components. Thus a simple, more economical method of production needs to be explored.
A further object of a bidet device is to provide convenience of use without appearing obtrusive. Special seats that have nozzles located inside the toilet bowl modify the appearance of the toilet. Their proximity to the toilet bowl make them difficult to clean, and may cause unpleasant odors. Self-contained and portable hand-held bidets are either inconveniently stored out of sight or require an obtrusive reservoir tank for attachment.
A further advantage of a bidet device is to provide related solution-rinse applications with a sink basin or a shower. The elongated nozzle heads of the cited prior art can be only used with a toilet. They are not versatile enough to provide treatments to other parts of the body with a sink or a shower. Infant bathing, hair treatments, and body washes are applications that require a round nozzle head similar to that of an ordinary hand shower.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide a safe, efficient and sanitary warm water delivery system. PA1 (b) to provide a safe, reusable nozzle head for both external and internal treatments. PA1 (c) to provide a liquid dispenser that can be quickly changed for different applications. PA1 (d) to make the device more affordable to purchase, use and maintain. PA1 (e) to provide convenience for the user without having an obtrusive appearance. PA1 (f) to provide a versatile nozzle head for related applications with a sink or shower.
Further objects and advantages include adaptations of self-adjustment mechanisms, currently used in showers and garden hose nozzles to modify discharge patterns. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.